Summary

In the Rosaleen section, the reader finally gets to see the mother that the children have circled around for the first half of the novel. This selection marks the middle of the novel in terms of both plot and theme. From here, the children will not be "leaving," as the first section is titled (1) to "Coming Home" as the second half is called (166).

The style of Rosaleen's section represents a shift from the earlier narration. While it remains in the third person, the language of the narrative becomes more impressionistic and lyrical, often mirroring the thought process of an elderly woman on the verge of dementia.

The chapter opens in November of 2005 with Rosaleen deciding to write out her Christmas cards. Each card she wrote to her children made her recall memories about those children. As she thought about her children and who...